


Kasumi

by orphan_account



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Friendship, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-23
Updated: 2012-04-23
Packaged: 2017-11-04 04:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/389628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The new port observation deck has Shepard reminiscing about an old friend. Shep/Kasumi friendship fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kasumi

**Author's Note:**

> This is all kinda of messy and underdeveloped, but I kind of like it this way. The moment the idea popped up, I scribbled it down real quick and presented it to [shenkobutts](http://tinychat.com/shenkobutts). A thanks to all the people there, as usual, for being super cool.

Things were strange and new when he stepped onto the Normandy again. Shepard didn’t expect to feel the waves of nostalgia that washed over him when he took his first real look at the retrofitted ship. The Cerberus colors, he didn’t miss- seeing his crew run around in blue and silver rather than orange and black made it feel more like things used to be. But when he first stepped into port observation and saw the poker table there- well, it was a bit disconcerting.

In place of the old bookshelves and stolen relics sat a poker table. The lighting overhead, as dim as it was, still made the room feel all too bright- not at all the dark room Shepard remembered. And strange that walking into the port obvservation deck- of all the places on the ship, Shepard thought- would have such a big impact on him, although he had figured that it had more to do with who used to be here rather than what.

Shepard had noticed that the long leather seat was pristine as ever. He remembered collapsing onto it after long missions and just listening to tales of museum heists and pickpocketing gone wrong. He missed the smell of musty paper, the way the pages had felt between his fingers when she finally- but reluctantly- allowed him to borrow one of her precious books. There were times when his own cabin felt too big and too empty, and the rest of the ship felt too crowded and too noisy- he would make his way into the starlit room, and she would smile as he sat down in quiet understanding.

“I know what it feels like, you know,” she had remarked after Horizon. Garrus and Jacob had already tried their hands at bringing the commander’s spirits back up, but what he really needed was just to clear his head. Eventually, he found himself stumbling his was into port observation for a much needed drink. And there he found her, drink in hand already waiting for Shepard and a sad, knowing smile on her face.

“How what feels like?”

She handed him the drink. “I know what it feels like to be surrounded by people, yet still so alone.”

Shepard blinked owlishly.

“You’re constantly surrounded by people, Shep. People that need you, but none of them are ever the one that you need.” And of course she knew. She was able to spot his feelings for Kaidan that even he himself couldn’t see until it was too late. It always seemed like she knew what he was thinking. “Keiji and I didn’t see each other that often, you know. Of course we had to live separately, and our missions kept us busy and usually very far apart. I should have appreciated the time we spent together more.” She peered up at him from below her hood. “He may not be here, Shepard, but he’s still out there. You shouldn’t take the time you have now for granted.”

And she was right. Almost losing Kaidan had Shepard scared more so than he had ever been in his life. Boarding the Normandy after Mars and finding a poker table where he had expected to find a mischevious thief, it felt like a piece of the ship was missing, and somewhere in the back of his mind, Shepard felt the need to find out where she was, knew it wouldn’t be hard to locate her. But things are different now. Seated at the table in front of where Shepard stood, Kaidan curses as James once again pulls a win out of thin air. He turns and smiles at Shepard, gives him the one that reminds him that Kaidan is there to stay, and that Shepard is in love.

“Need something, Shepard?” Kaidan asks.

Shepard smiles fondly back and replies, “No. I have what I need.”


End file.
